What the Transparenzregister is

Germany has a beneficial ownership reporting system commonly referred to as the Transparenzregister. It is designed to record information about beneficial owners (UBOs) for legal entities and certain arrangements, subject to applicable legal requirements.

How it relates to Handelsregister

The commercial register records registered corporate facts like name, seat, and representation. Beneficial ownership relates to who ultimately controls the entity. These are different layers of information. A register extract helps anchor the entity identity when reviewing beneficial ownership information.

Practical cross-check approach

When you need to assess ownership, start with the commercial register extract to confirm identity, then review ownership disclosures and supporting documents. Keep dates and versions because ownership information can change.

Key terms (high level)

• Beneficial owner (UBO): the natural person(s) who ultimately owns or controls
• Legal owner vs beneficial owner: not always the same
• Reporting obligation: depends on entity and legal rules

Related pages

• Shareholder list — Ownership documentation used in due diligence.
• Register extract — Identity anchor for ownership checks.